Arabica vs Robusta is one of the most common questions in the world of coffee.It’s no surprise that even non enthusiasts have heard of both arabica and robusta plenty of times.
Arabica and Robusta are types of coffee, beloved and known by many. It is the type that you can always find anywhere in the coffee market.
Did you know? There are over 100 kinds of coffee all around the world, and among the hundreds of species, the arabica and robusta are the most common of all its kind.
Arabica VS Robusta: Let’s Get To Know Them
Arabica Coffee
For starter, Arabica is a species of coffee initially found in the highlands of West Ethiopia. According to one source, the coffee didn’t get its name until the seventh century, when the beans were brought to the lower region in Arab.
The Arabica bean has a flat oval shape, and is known for its lighter taste and softer texture. The Arabica also has a lot of oil in its bean, giving it a fruity, zesty and sweet flavor. Currently the Arabica holds around 75% of the market and is commonly pricier to buy compared to Robusta.
Arabica coffees grows at an ideal altitude of 3000-7000 ft above sea water levels. With a subtropical climate with even rainfall and a fair amount of sunlight to grow well.
Robusta Coffee
On the other side, we have the Robusta. A smaller bean compared to the Arabica, it also has a much rounder shape. Contrary to its size, Robusta actually has a stronger taste, with a bitter and powerful profile. It also has less amount of oil in its beans, resulting in a more earthy and heavy taste. Robusta contributes to 25% of the market and more often than not, it could be found at a much cheaper price than Arabica.
Nescafe.com also stated through its web that the Robusta grows in the lowlands of 100-800 meters above sea levels. Indonesia’s geography holds plenty of lowlands, particularly in the province of Lampung, South Sumatra. So it’s no surprise that the Robusta is produced at such a huge amount, taking over a fourth of the coffee industry.
Did you know? Indonesia actually holds the title as one of the largest producers of Robusta in the world! Indonesia took number four after Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia.
Arabica VS Robusta: Caffeine, Antioxidants and Sugar Contents
Both of these coffee beans also happened to have different compositions of minerals and chemical compounds. For one, The beans of Robusta contained 2.7% caffeine compared to 1.5% in Arabica, becoming the reason why coffee drinkers prefer coffee roasted from Robusta for its caffeine boost. Perfect for morning sips to boost one’s morning.
On the other hand, Arabica beans contained 60% more lipid and twice the amount of natural sugar compared to Robusta, which explains the sweetness of Arabica coffee.
Apart from caffeine and sugar, coffee is also known to have a high amount of antioxidants. However, different coffee provides different levels of antioxidants. Reported from roastycoffee.com, Robusta beans contain 7-10% of chlorogenic acid while Arabica has around 5.5-8% of CGA.
Arabica VS Robusta: Price
In the market, Arabica coffee has a much higher price than a Robusta. This is due to the fact that Arabica required a much harder situation in cultivating it, requiring more care prior to harvesting. Not to mention, the skyrocketing global demand for Arabica contributed to the hike of the price as well.
Arabica VS Robusta: Taste
As we have reviewed, the Robusta has little natural sugars with a rather strong, bitter, and earthy taste. As a result, the Robusta is perfect for espresso, bringing tons of flavor in one small cup. However, the Arabica generally tastes more fruity and sweeter if compared to Robusta. Arabica coffee is more used by the premium coffee shops all around the world.
Lots of Robusta is served as espresso. And with the Italian roast, you could combine both Arabica and Robusta together.
Moreover it is also very likely for you to find Robusta beans being used in instant coffee’s ingredients for its loads amount of caffeine.